(so you think you have)
Tropical Rat mites
Hello. Welcome. If you’re here, it’s likely because you think you have the dreaded, Tropical Rat Mites (EEK!).
First of all, I’m sorry. It’s a pain and I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy (but also, I have no hamster enemies!).
Know that you’re not alone. I too have had tropical rat mites (in the summer of 2023). And I’m here to tell you it’s going to be okay. You will get through this!
If you’re over 21, I invite you to pour yourself a glass of wine, relax for a moment on the couch, and I’ll take you through what I did to get rid of Tropical Rat Mites (and hopefully this will work for you too).
I’d also like to invite you to reach out to me. Let me know how it’s going. Ask me questions. I’m always around at rachelgothamsters at gmail.com :)
I also have a podcast episode all about Tropical Rat Mites! You can listen to it here
part one - do you have tropical rat mites?
There are many types of mites out there, some are harmless, invisible to the naked eye & and part of our normal hair/skin ecosystem (for example- demodex mites). Other types of mites are like tropical rat mites - they live off your hamster’s blood and can be quite uncomfortable for you and your hamster! Cosmic Hamsters has a bit about mites on her instagram feed here I encourage you to check out!
The first thing I noticed when I had tropical rat mites was that I was getting tiny bites on my ankles and wrists. They were itchy like a mosquito bite, but not as big as a mosquito. This went on for about a week before I noticed the tiny bugs in my dwarf hamster, Maurice’s enclosure.
Tropical rat mites are tiny, black and red little bugs, almost so small they just look like specs of dirt… but when you look closely, they move!
A great test to find out if these are truly tropical rat mites or something else is if you squish one, does blood come out? If your hamster cage is infected with other types of bugs (like the kind that snack on hamster food), they won’t be filled with blood. Since these mites eat blood for dinner, that’s what you’ll see when you squish one.
part two - make a vet appointment, catch a mite
Once you have determined you have a bug problem, the first thing you should is call your vet.
If you don’t have a vet, it’s a great time to find one! Search for exotic vets in your area, and then call to see if they see hamsters.
If you’d like a recommendation for your area, you could also post in one of the many, hamster Facebook groups, or on a hamster forum. I’ve also been working on a page with vets that are highly recommended.
Once you have a vet appointment, now it’s time to catch a mite! You’ll want to bring that mite with you to your vet appointment so your vet can take a look at the bug under a microscope and treat your hamster appropriately. I recommend a piece of clear, packing tape. You can catch a few, then gently place in a plastic baggie.
